The Engbers Family

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Don't worry, we've contacted American Idol regarding the next round of auditions.

To get the full effect make a turkey with your hands...feathers in the back with fingers spread on one hand, fist of the other hand to the open palm for a body, gobbly turkey neck with the thumb. Just in case you couldn't figure out what the world he was doing with his hands. Please make sure your turkey gobbles...a lot.

Sorry about the wobbly camera. Avery was climbing in and out of my lap.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

After a 4 month break it is time to get back into the swing of things, don't you think? In regards to both blogging and school! :)

Jackson--Officially a 1st grader. After letting his friends get a 2 day head start (thank you fever), 1st grade finally began. He loves it and is totally exhausted by it all at the same time. His favorite part, recess of course. Doing paperwork comes second place. (Really???) We are not playing soccer this fall (mom missed the sign up) but are staying plenty busy getting into all kinds of bigger kid trouble with a few of the neighbors. Lego creations and making books are favorite pass times. The tooth fairy has visited twice and I'm quite sure he grew at least 3 inches this summer (or at least since the last time he wore pants...)

Will--When I asked him how his first day of school was I got an enthusiastic "Awesome!" In all honestly I had a hard time dropping him off the first day, I had to keep swallowing the lump in the back of my throat. But he LOVES it and it is so good for him. He makes it his business to keep tabs on everyone in the class, making sure I know who was just a little bit naughty because they didn't sit "criss-cross applesauce" and who got to be the helper with their mom. His favorite part was the bear hunt they took on the first day. We've read "We're Going On A Bear Hunt" so many times since he now can "read" it by himself. This summer he's gotten so brave in the water. He even went down the slide at MVP...over and over and over again! He's still proves to be an animal and bug lover and this summer we rescued monarach butterflies off the beach, a praying mantis out of the parking lot of Walmart and a grasshopper out of the yard. Not to mention the many caterpillars we watched make cocoons and turn into moths.

Avery-- A full time walker! Just in the last couple weeks she's discovered that her feet were made for walking and I'm sure it's just a matter of weeks before she figures out running. Grass, sand, woodchips, nothing deters her from walking and it's funny to watch. This girl is into EVERYTHING!!! She empties the tupperware cupboard daily, can climb on the kitchen and deck chairs (not to mention the table), and thinks she can walk down stairs. She loves the beach and the water! She loves to eat sand and every other snack that might be packed in the bag. Lately she carries a bag over her shoulder wherever she goes (yes, like a purse) and puts stuff in and out. Her favorite purse item is an empty dental floss container. She likes to push her baby doll in a stroller and I've seen her trying to carry her baby up by her shoulder. I'd like to know who taught her this?

Dave and I continue to keep busy too. HC fall sports are in full operation which makes for busy times for Dave. He still continues to "need" a boat in a bad way and we now own most of the equipment necessary for the boat, but no boat to put it in. I'm babysitting 2 days a week, enjoying the afternoons when I am not outnumbered, and training for a half marathon in a couple weeks.

Phew...there's life in a nutshell. Hopefully the next update will be sooner than 4 months from now.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

We had a wonderful Easter. My "basket" is full and I feel blessed. Here are some pictures of my favorite memories of the day.

Some bunny loved their first Easter Basket filled with a pair of shoes and a paci. What's not to love about that? However the jelly beans in her basket from Papa and Mema were the real winners!

Some bunny else drew this picture during church.

And some bunny else helped his birthday buddy, Grandpa, celebrate his day.

And somehow I think it might be easier to get 3 real bunnies to sit and cooperate for a picture.

In taking some time to prepare for the real celebration of Easter the boys and I made Ressurection Rolls. These were a huge hit and provided a great teaching moment. We also spent some time reading The Jesus Storybook Bible. I love, love, love this Bible! Sometimes when I read it I think it is as much for me as it is for the kids. You know when you hear or read something that you've heard a million times before but one day you hear it with new ears? This book is like that. Every time I ready it.

A wonderful day with a wonderful family celebrating a wonderful and very much risen Lord!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

I told Will for at least a week that he could have a birthday but he wasn't allowed to turn 4, he just had to stay 3. Finally he started crying and told me that I "just have to tell the truth!" Ok, ok. But how can he be 4? Wasn't he just born? Apparently not, but he is still cute as the dickens and maybe I'll pretend for just a bit that he is still a baby.

William, William,Even though you are 4, you still do "little" things that make you little. You like to climb in our bed to snuggle and you still play with your hair. You ask for "break-frist" every morning and would rather drink out of a sippy-cup than one without a top. You still love your blanket and your lovey but have ditched the paci. (Nice work buddy!) On a more grown up note, you love to play with others and you are a good friend. When in the care of others I often hear how sweet you are and that you are careful for the feelings of others. You are quite observant, you don't miss much, even though you seem to be not paying attention much of the time. You have an unbelievable ability to quote lines from TV shows and movies, a trait you did not get from your mother. You are still a bit of a goof at heart and sometimes I just look at you and laugh. You love wearing your goggles, but ironically enough you are scared to death to put your head underwater. You also like to pick out your own clothes but fashion is not your strong suit.

For your birthday all you wanted was "jeans that come with a belt". Seriously? But we were happy to oblige. Maybe someday we will tell you that we didn't actually buy you new jeans we just put the belt on the ones that were already in your drawer. You love your "new jeans" and have worn them more times in the last week than you wore your "old jeans" in the last 5 months. You also wanted a pink birthday cake. We were looking out for your future self when we settled on something a little more your favorite color with pink sprinkled in for good measure.Will, we love that you love Jesus and that you love to pray. You pray for each person in the room (sometimes excluding your brother, just to get under his skin) and have insightful things to say. You love Bible stories and ask many questions so that you understand all angles of each story. God is growing you up to be a special little man and we couldn't be more proud. We love you so much and are looking forward to all that this year has to hold.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Thursday, January 13, 2011

This is so true and so funny. Like make you cry you're laughing so hard and try not to wet your pants laughing. Because let's be real, this sounds like my life. Some good old fashioned parenting lessons (or reminders) for those in all seasons of life.

Lesson 11. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.Lesson 2Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their…

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3A really good way to discover how the nights with a baby might feel…

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.Lesson 4Can you stand the mess children make? To find out…

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?Lesson 5Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this – all morning.

Lesson 6Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a metal garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 81. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you’re thinking What’s ‘Noggin’?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying ‘mommy’ repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each ‘mommy’; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.Lesson 11Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the ‘mommy’ tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

Now excuse me. My "goats" are running wild and the "octopus" needs changing.

About Me

Dave and I have been married for seven and a half years. We have two wonderful boys, Jackson (6) and Will (4) and an almost 1 year old (yikes!) girl, Avery. Dave works as the Athletic Director at Holland Christian High School. He also coaches boys varsity lacrosse. I have the wonderful job of being home with the kiddos. We spend lots of time building train tracks, doing puzzles, and playing game. Not to mention changing diapers, feeding and loving on a newborn. For just me, I enjoy reading, crafting and sewing. We keep busy and are always making memories! We hope this blog will be a way to record, remember, and share the happenings of our family.